The Scoundrel Prince
by WhisperedSilence
Summary: It had been five years. Five years since his last visit to Arendelle. On his father's order, Prince Hans was to make a formal apology to the Queen and Princess residing here. If they accept, he is to return to his kingdom with no hope of marrying into another line of royalty. However, if they refuse, he could be cleaning bedpans and sleeping in the stables with the horses.
1. Chapter 1

_Although this is not my first story, it is the first for this set of characters. I would like to ask for the readers to be respectful. If you are not a fan for the particular character(s) I am writing about, please move on to a different story. Your negativity is unwelcome. That being said, I am only able to update this story on my free time, as I am a single mother and a full time student. So be patient with further additions. _

_Please enjoy the story and don't forget to review it. I look forward to reading your input on The Scoundrel Prince. _

_Best Regards,_

_L._

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The Scoundrel Prince

Part One

It had been five years. Five years since he had heard the sound of laughter coming from the harbor his family ship was anchored in. Five years since he inhaled the fresh mountain crisp air. Five _long_ years since he had walked in this kingdom and seen the two beautiful sisters that called Arendelle their home. Despite everything that had happened, everything he had done, he often wondered if Princess Anna and Queen Elsa spoke of him. Did they even spare him a passing a thought? If they had, he imagined it was not exactly in a positive light.

Hans adjusted the white cloth around his neck and tucked it into his deep emerald green brocade vest, then gently stuck an emerald pin into it to keep it in place. He looked over his reflection in the long oval mirror by the wardrobe. He was still tall and his shoulders still broad and square. His fair hair was slightly longer than his last visit, curling at the ends with a single strand hanging in his green eyes. He was handsome enough, he supposed, albeit softer and more refined looking than most of his brothers who all had rough facial hair covering most of their faces. Whereas Hans preferred his elegantly trimmed sideburns.

He slipped a gold pocket watch into his vest and adjusted his belt, running his fingers over the empty clip attached. One of the conditions of his visit was that he was not permitted to be armed, so his ceremonial sword and scabbard was to be left aboard the family ship. Hans sighed and looked over his suit in the reflection again. He had opted for darker colors for this visit, despite the warming spring air. Gold thread was stitched in this vest and the double breasted buttons reflected the sunlight filtering in through his cabin window. A gold silk sash stretched from his left shoulder and down to his right side. His black pants were snug, perhaps a little too snug, and tucked into black leather boots with pointed edges brushing just above his knees. Hans slipped on is black tailcoat jacket and adjusted the lapels. Much like many of his other tailcoat jackets, this one bore the gold filigree of his kingdom on the sides and back, as well as having gold epaulettes on his shoulders, indicating the time he had spent in his kingdom's army.

Hans brushed his knuckles against his chest where his metals would have been pinned, but he had been stripped of those honors upon his return to his kingdom. He considered himself lucky that he was allowed to keep his epaulettes and continue to be called a prince. However, his father loudly declared that he was unfit to lead a kingdom and it would be incredibly difficult for him marry within a royal family. If he managed to find a wife at all.

He glanced at the white gloves resting on the bedside table for a long moment. They were the same gloves he had worn during his last visit to Arendelle and had difficulty parting with them. Hans picked them up and ran his thumb over the stitching on the back of the top glove. Were he to wear them, he would feel more comfortable and in control of the unusual situation he had found himself in. However, he was not sure he could earn any form of the queen's favor by wearing them. He was no stranger to forms of symbolism of the mind and the family physician theorized that by wearing gloves, even in the heat of summer, Hans was hiding his true self. With a heavy sigh, Hans put the gloves in an inside pocket of his jacket; he might not wear them, but at least he'll have them with him.

A knock at the door pulled Prince Hans from his thoughts. He turned and watched as the handle turned after being unlocked, silently annoyed that his brothers deemed it necessary to lock him in this small cramped cabin for the duration of the trip here. Hans was looking forward to leaving the small space for some fresh air and to sleep on a much softer, bigger bed.

When the door opened, Hans' older brother, Rolfe, stood in the doorway. His clothes were similar to Hans', but Rolfe wore tan pants and a blue tailcoat. A red sash with gold trim stretched across his chest and metals of honor decorated his chest, with epaulettes on his shoulders. His hair was a similar shade to his younger brother's, albeit darker, and his eyes hazel. His nose was wider and not as long and a thick beard lined his jaw.

"Are you ready to go now or are you still applying your powder?" Rolfe's voice was deep and rough as he mocked Hans.

Hans rolled his eyes, clearly not amused by his older brother's retort. "I've been waiting on you."

"Well, come on then. Klaus is already on his way to the castle." Rolfe stood aside as he spoke.

As Hans walked by him, the scent of bourbon caught his attention and he wrinkled his nose. It was evident by Rolfe's rosy cheeks that he had had more than a few glasses of ship's bourdon supply this morning.

"Starting early, are you?" Hans replied coolly as he walked onto the deck, shielding his eyes from the bright morning sun.

Birds flew above him and sang in delight. The water hit the ship and rocked it gently, but not enough to hinder the walk of any of the sailors. From the ship, the sound of cheerful laughter and conversation could be heard from the city, along the sound of music playing. The smell of sweets and meat lingered on the breeze, causing Hans' stomach to rumble slightly in hunger.

Rolfe scowled. "It's a wedding, isn't it?"

Hans followed his older brother down the ramp and onto the wooden pier. Other guests and servants made their way to the city square and to the palace gates. Guards patrolled the city with vigilant eyes, each giving Hans a warning stare as he passed by. He merely ignored them, fully aware of the thin ice he was treading on here.

The city looks every bit the same as it had the last time he was here. The streets were clean and paved with stone. Flowers lined the windows and doors of houses and businesses. Colored banners depicting Princess Anna and her groom-to-be's silhouettes hung from the lamp posts, matching small flags hung from building to building. The citizens seemed more than thrilled for this wedding as they danced in merriment.

It was all going to give Hans a headache.

"Remind me again why I had to come here. I highly doubt the queen and princess will be happy to see me." Hans said as they walked to the bridge leading to the large castle gates.

Rolfe sighed and glanced over at his younger brother. "Our father and his council agree that this is the perfect opportunity to show good faith between our kingdoms. A formal apology from you to the queen and princess will ensure peace."

Hans rolled his eyes slightly, annoyed by his father's optimism. "And if they refuse?"

Rolfe smirked. "That's my favorite part. We get to leave you here to the queen's disposal."

"Wonderful." Hans sighed and brushed his fingers through his hair.

As Hans and Rolfe reached the castle gates, the temperature seemed to change dramatically. Pillars of artic blue ice lined the castle walls and glittered in the sun. The two fountains in the courtyard were frozen solid and curved elegantly towards each other, giving a charming invitation to enter the castle. The tallest tower seemed taller than Hans remembered, but with each closing step, he realized that ice had encased the roof and kissed the sky with a brilliant snowflake on top.

Beside him, Rolfe whistled as he looked around. "This must be the queen's doing. Remind me again why you thought it would be a good idea to kill her and take her throne."

A soft groan escaped Hans' and he shook his head. "I'm not having this conversation again. Let us just get this over with so we can leave this place."

Hans went to step up the stairs, but a small snowman with a small cloud above him waddled by him. The little snowman stopped at the top of the steps and turned to look at Hans, when he did, his eyes widened in surprise and his stick arms tried to cover his mouth.

"Prince Hans…" It squeaked out before rushing past the guards standing near the door and into the castle.

Hans merely quirked an eyebrow as he watched after the snowman. Rolfe stared after it, slightly stunned by what he had just seen. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and slightly shaken.

"Was that…a talking…_living _snowman?" He asked.

Hans bit back a smirk. "You should see the one in the mountains."

With that, Hans took the lead and stepped into the castle. People lingered by in the entrance hall, sipping tea, wine, and other spirits. The women wore colorful dresses bearing their shoulders with floral prints adorning the silks. The men all wore similar styled suits that only varied in color; seamless pants, double breasted vests, colored neck cloths, and tailcoats. The conversation in the hall seemed to change as everyone saw Hans, but he paid little mind to the whispers that followed him as he made his way to the main hall.

The smell of chocolate was thick in the air and the sound of laughter almost deafening. As Hans and Rolfe stepped into the hall, they were met with a large crowd of people waiting to speak with the queen. Hans wandered to the back of the room and grabbed a glass of wine as a servant passed by him. The hall itself was decorated in deep blues and rich magenta with gold and silver. Large arrangements of various flowers lined the walls in tall decorative vases. He looked over the crowd, unable to see the queen standing by the throne, but he spotted his brother Klaus leaning against a pillar, polishing off a mug of mead.

Much like Hans and Rolfe, Klaus' white tailcoat bore the gold filigree of the Southern Isles, though his were accented with blue and silver. He wore a gold doubt breasted pin stripe vest beneath his coat and a blue cloth around his neck. A silver and gold sash stretched across his chest like the other princes' and gold epaulettes adorned his shoulders; on his chest, several metals were proudly displayed. Even from where Hans stood, he could see the jewels glimmering in the hilt of the ceremonial sword hanging at Klaus' side.

A heavy hand clapped down on Hans' shoulder and squeezed slightly, making him wince only slightly. He looked up and saw Rolfe looking down at him with that arrogant smirk of his. Yet again, Hans held back a groan as his older brother all but pushed him through the crowd to their elder brother, Klaus, who smiled at them brightly.

"This place is magnificent." He said as they approached. Like Rolfe, his eyes were hazel and nose wider than Hans', but instead of a beard, Klaus wore his facial hair in thick yet trimmed mutton chops. "Have you seen the little snowman?"

Rolfe nodded slightly. "For a moment, I thought I would have to trade my spirits for water."

Hans waited as his brothers traded comments about their awe of the castle. He noticed a small part in the crowd, providing him a view of Queen Elsa. She looked every bit the same as he had last seen her; her blonde hair windswept and a single thick braid over her shoulder and her large blue-green eyes were shadowed with a purple eyeshadow. Her dress was different than it had been five years ago, it was now shimmering aquamarine that wrapped around her shoulders and flowed to the floor like water, pooling at her feet. The only thing different about her was that now she seemed calmer and warm, where she had been so rigid and cold the first time he had met her.

After greeting a lord and his lady, Queen Elsa glanced over the crowd in what appeared to be exhaustion and boredom, before her gaze met with Hans'. Instantly, her eyes turned hard and icy, her lips pressed into a tight line. Hans kept his face blank and held her gaze evenly. Even as Elsa reluctantly greeted another lord, Hans continued to watch, sipping his wine and reminding himself that the slightest smart remark from him could have him cleaning bedpans and sleeping in stables with the horses.


	2. Chapter 2

_Here is the second installment for this story. Now that the frame has been set, the next installments will be all the more thrilling. Especially since the **real** fun is about to begin. _

_I hope you enjoy this part. I'm not sure when the next one will be uploaded as my next set of classes are Psychology courses and require far more attention than my last class. _

_Also, do not forget to leave a review if you follow the story. Thank you._

_Best regards,_

_L._

* * *

**The Scoundrel Prince**

**Part Two**

"Come on," Klaus said as he pushed off the pillar. "I believe it is our turn to greet the queen before we take our seats for the ceremony."

Rolfe nodded and pushed Hans in front of him, forcing him into the shortening line waiting to greet Queen Elsa. Klaus stood on the other side of Hans, both brothers a head and half taller than him and broader in the chest and shoulders. Hans sighed and finished his wine in one smooth swallow. This was going to take every ounce of control and sincerity he could muster.

Slowly, the short line moved forward and the other guests began heading to the chapel to get their seats. When their turn to greet the queen had come, all that was left in the room were a few servants and guards.

It had gotten quiet in the main hall. Elsa straightened and held her head tall, her gaze ice cold as they bore into Hans. He suppressed a shiver and followed his brothers in bowing, murmuring a polite greeting. Klaus was the first to speak up.

"My queen, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." He smiled sweetly at Elsa and she bowed her head in return. "I have heard stories of your beauty and talent, but I see they have done you no justice."

Elsa smiled politely. "Thank you…and you are?"

Klaus laughed sheepishly. "Where are my manners? Pardon me, my queen. I am Prince Klaus of the Southern Isles and this is my brother, Prince Rolfe. I believe you are already _acquainted_ with the youngest of my family, Hans."

Elsa pursed her lips together and narrowed her eyes only slightly on Hans. He could have sworn the temperature dropped as she did. When she spoke, her voice was icy and piercing.

"Something like that." She said coolly. "Though it is a pleasure to meet the two of you, I must ask, why have you brought _him_ with you?"

Klaus looked slightly taken aback by Elsa's tone, but dismissed it and looked at Hans, who cleared his throat and pressed his hand to his chest, covering his heart.

"I believe I can answer that." Hans replied in a velvety smooth tone, almost a purr. "I would like to formally apologize to you for the crime I have committed against your family."

Elsa watched Hans, an eyebrow slightly quirked, before she could respond, Rolfe spoke up for the first time since laying his eyes on the queen.

"As a further sign of good faith," his voice was rough in comparison to Hans' and almost offending to the ear, "our father, the king of the Southern Isles would like to offer a peace treaty to Arendelle, were you to accept our foolish little brother's apology."

Hans glanced at Rolfe and wrinkled his nose.

"However," Rolfe continued, a smug smirk on his lips, "were to refuse, our father would also like to offer that Hans work in your kingdom until he has earned your favor."

That surprised the queen. Hans watched as her eyebrows raised and her purple painted lips parted slightly. She looked between Rolfe and Klaus, both nodding and hiding their glee, before she looked directly into Hans' gaze.

"I will need to speak with my sister before a decision is made." A half smirk slowly curled Elsa's lips. "Speak to me again after the ceremony and you will have your answer."

Hans' heart dropped and his stomach went cold. He was almost positive he visibly paled at her answer. Beside him, Rolfe was biting his cheek, holding his laughter and on his other side, Klaus smiled and bowed.

Elsa bowed her head only slightly and took a step back. "If you'll excuse me, I need to check in on my sister."

After that, Elsa turned and headed toward a guarded door leading to the private rooms. As soon as the door shut behind her, Rolfe laughed and headed for the door opposite to the one Elsa had exited. Hans and Klaus closely followed.

"I hope you are prepared for whatever the queen chooses." Klaus said as they made their way to the chapel. "It is quite possible that the queen and princess may both want to see you perform tasks that a prince would not normally do."

Hans grumbled to himself quietly and stepped into the very same chapel the queen had her coronation. All of the seats were full, save for a few in the back. Hans and his brothers seated themselves in it, Klaus on one side and Rolfe on the outside. It made Hans feel like a child in need of disciplining, though in their eyes, he probably wasn't far off.

He looked around the chapel at the guests. None of them really stood out to him. In the front row was Princess Rapunzel and her swollen stomach showed she was heavy with child. Beside her sat her husband, Eugene, who was holding their toddler twins, both of which didn't seem pleased about the suits they were put into. Hans smirked slightly, then glanced at the choir seated above the altar on a narrow balcony. They wore the same red robes as before and were filling the chapel with their crystal clear voices. The bishop stood at the altar in crimson robes lined with a deep royal purple trim, waiting patiently for the groom and bride.

Suddenly, the door to his left opened and servants filed in. There were two rows, from what Hans could see and one was made up of women while the other were men. Each of the women wore light pink gowns with a cerulean and violet trim, their hair was braided up with flowers weaved into it. The men wore purple suits with pink flowers pinned to their chest and led the women to the altar, as was the norm for traditional weddings. The women stood on one side and the men on the other, their eyes on the doorway.

Slowly, Hans shifted and turned his gaze to the doorway to see a large reindeer walk in with his head held high, a shiny medal around his neck depicting a snowflake. Hans tilted his head slightly, he could swear that reindeer was strutting down the aisle. Following him closely was a tall, broad shouldered man in a white suit with blonde hair that curled slightly at the edges. Hans saw his face for only a moment, but he saw large brown eyes, a wide nose, a grin stretching from ear to ear, and a trimmed beard lining a strong jaw.

Hans didn't know much about this man, not even his name. However, he had heard that the groom was raised in the mountains and by the look of him, he might have been. Though he wasn't sure if the rumor he was raised by trolls was true or not, but with Elsa's ice powers and the talking snowman, he supposed it wasn't impossible.

Suddenly, everyone in the chapel stood up, including his brothers. Reluctantly, Hans got up and turned towards the door. There, the queen stepped in with her head held high and shoulders square. From what he grew up learning, Queen Elsa was the vision of regality and grace. The perfect princess turned queen. However, Hans had seen that shell crack and knew just how unstable Elsa could be.

For a brief moment, Elsa's icy gaze held Hans', a ghost of a smirk on her lips, but before he had time to react, she was walking down the aisle with both hands clasped in front of her. She stood by the bridesmaids, her long sheer cape flowing down the steps.

Hans felt a moment of slight panic, his heart skipping a beat and stomach dropping. It was becoming more real to him that it was possible that Elsa and Anna would want to see him shoveling horse waste rather than falsely accepting a half-heartedly apology to be rid of him for the rest of their lives. Hans shuddered at the thought of having to perform back-breaking manual labor unbecoming of a prince.

The music sung by the choir changed and Anna walked in. Though she was not one of the most beautiful women Hans had ever seen, far from it, in fact, but he could not deny how beautiful she was in this moment. Her auburn hair was braided and held up with sparkling diamond and sapphire clips with a long sheer veil flowing down her back and trailing out the door. There was a string of pearls around her long neck with three rows of pearls and a large shimmering sapphire in the center. She was clad in a long white gown that wrapped around her shoulders. From what he could see, there were three sapphires on the sleeves, one on each shoulder and a larger one on her chest. The corset around her waist was tied tightly and embroidered with shimmering silver thread, making her thin waist look even smaller as the skirt flared out around her into a long train.

As Anna walked down the aisle, head held up high and grinning from ear to ear, Hans saw the small snowman follow in after her, holding up her veil. He too looked just as happy as Anna and her groom.

It struck Hans in that moment, as Anna finally reached her groom and stood beside him, both facing the bishop, when he realized that had things gone even a little differently, that would be him standing up there with Anna. She would be looking up at him with those big innocent eyes, all too eager to be wedded to him. On some level, Hans knew that they had no real compatibility. Her delicate air and sunny disposition were charming at first, but after a long exposed time frame to it, he could easily grow weary with her, as he would with an overly enthusiastic child. In a way, Hans had dodged a bullet, but in doing so, he stepped right in front of a barrage of them.

Hans settled back in his seat and leaned back. From his spot, he couldn't hear the bishop's voice, not that he cared much. He never cared for weddings. To him, it was a meaningless words, a façade. However, Hans had also grown up knowing that his father was not exactly true to his vows. He wasn't blind to what his father did with the chambermaids and other women in his travels. Life wasn't a fairytale. Back when Hans first met Anna, he had not lied to her about his childhood. It was true that he had twelve older brothers and that some of them had even played cruel jokes on him, but he failed to tell her how many sisters he had and how many _half_ siblings he had, mostly because he didn't know that exact number. Hans spent a great deal of his life watching child after child come to the castle claiming to be the illegitimate bastard of the king. He saw how it tore his mother apart.

Hans looked around, shifting slightly. Maybe he did grow up jaded to the different forms of love. He received little to no affection from his siblings. His mother, having been exhausted from constant heartbreak, began neglecting him at a young age. And his father, the king, couldn't be bothered to spend even a minute of his _precious_ time with his youngest son, as he had nothing to offer that his other sons already couldn't.

He inwardly scoffed at his own cynical thoughts. Sometimes he surprised himself with how quickly his thoughts turned dark. Hans rubbed his forehead and took in a deep breath, relaxing himself so that his brothers wouldn't notice his sudden mood change. He glanced at both of his brothers and saw that both of them were paying attention to the wedding, ignoring Hans. Relief washed over him and he closed his eyes for a moment, once again contemplating his fate after today.

Moments passed before Hans realized it and he soon found himself being nudged roughly by Rolfe, who looked annoyed. People were filing out of the chapel, only the last two rows had people waiting to leave. Hans looked up at his brothers and yawned, then stood with them. He had not intended to fall asleep, especially considering how uncomfortable the benches were, but it did pass the time.

Hans and his brothers waited for their turn to file out of the chapel and into the courtyard. The sun was blinding to his tired eyes and he shielded them from the sun until he could see. During the wedding, the servants had been setting up for celebration. There were tables covered in deep pink cloth with gold trim, vases holding flowers and plates as white as pearls adorning each of the tables. At the far end was a platform of what looked like ice with a large curved arch above it, glittering in the sun. Guests were waiting to congratulate the bride and groom, creating a long line leading to the chapel. Those who had already spoken with them were sitting at tables, drinking wine and chatting happily.

Hans couldn't hold in his groan as they waited in line, earning him a glare from both of his brothers. The sun beat down on them as they slowly made their way up to the platform, causing beads of sweat to form on Hans' brow, though he wasn't sure if it was entirely from the sun. His apprehension was growing and his stomach began to turn cold. As they reached the stairs and carefully climbed them, the urge to flee was stronger than ever, but Hans remained in line between his brothers until he stood before Princess Anna, her husband, and Queen Elsa. An audible gulp escaped him and he was sure he had paled considerably.

"Congratulations on your wedding, Princess Anna and Prince Kristoff." Klaus said with smile and bowed deeply. "As a gift, we have brought you two of our best horses which the servants have taken to your stables this morning. Also, my father has offered that my foolish little brother be added to the castle staff."

Hans tried to keep his face blank as his brother spoke, desperately trying to keep his heart under control.

Princess Anna thanked Klaus with a polite smile, which disappeared the moment she looked at Hans. She clenched her jaw and Hans was sure he saw her fist roll into a tight fist, he tried his hardest not to flinch. Kristoff looked at him with utter distain and Elsa remained unreadable.

"Of course," Klaus continued, "that is only if you need proof he is sorry for his actions against you."

Anna opened her mouth to reply, but Elsa touched her shoulder and smiled at her sister. When she spoke, her voice was soft, at first.

"Although my sister and I would very much like to be rid of _your brother_ and have him never set foot in our kingdom again, we would be hasty in falsely accepting an apology we don't believe he means." She said to Klaus, then looked directly into Hans' gaze, her voice growing stern. "After speaking with my sister and steward on the matter, we have agreed that until Prince Hans has proven that he is truly regretful of his actions against myself and my sister, he is to work in Arendelle doing as he asked without question."

Hans' heart sank at her words and he tried to remain rooted in his spot, though he desperately wanted to run back to his family ship.

"Furthermore," Hans felt physically weak when he heard that word from the queen and his knees began to shake, "as he is not to be trusted at this time, he will be sleeping in the stables with the horses. However, the two of you," she addressed Klaus and Rolfe, "are welcome to rooms in the castle."

Klaus smiled sweetly and bowed. "We are grateful for your hospitality, your majesty. However, I will be returning back to our kingdom after the day is out to tell my father of your decision. My wife is also expecting our first child and I wouldn't miss the birth for anything."

Anna smiled and said something in reply, but Hans didn't hear it. The blood was rushing through his veins, making his ears ring loudly. He suddenly got lightheaded and the world spun around him. Just seconds later, his vision went black.


End file.
